Light-socket.



w.1. HOWE &1. MI. PEARRING.

LIGHT SOCKET.

APPLICATION man 050.12.1914.

1 174,42 1 Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

W HOWE Qvwudozfi J. M. PEHRRMG. witnemo W rm-WW mg. W.

ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JAMES HOWE AND JERRY MALOY PEARRING, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

LIGHT-SOCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM JAMES Hown and JERRY MALOY PEARRING, citizens of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and- State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Light-Sockets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. I

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric lighting devices and more particularly to what is known as a socket, which forms a connection between the line wires and the bulb, the main object of the present invention being the provision .of a socket having therein a lock which is insulated from the connections and which is adapted for engagement with the inner end of the lighting bulb when placed within the socket whereby to prevent the removal of the same when thelock is released.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a socket of the above character which will possess advantages in points of efliciency and durability, is inexpensive to manufacture and, at the same time, is simple in construction and operation.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of our device, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of a split ring employed.

In carrying out our invention, it will be noted that in the accompanying drawing, the numeral 1 designates an electric light socket of the usual well known type and it is to this form of socket that we desire to apply our invention. In the construction of the socket, one side wall thereof is provided with an opening which is generally indicated by the numeral 2 and normally closing this opening is a piece of transparent material which is arranged between the outer surface of the socket and the inner lining. This material which normally closes the opening 2 may be of mica, isinglass or sharpened edge as shown at 6.

any-other transparent material of this character which can be easily broken when desired.

Arranged within the socket is a ring of fiber insulation, indicated at 3 and which is placed \vitl1in the socket to prevent the short-circuiting of any of the parts. Our improved lock, which is generally indicated by the numeral 4, consists of a split ring formed of steel or any other suitable mate rial and one end thereof is provided with.

an outwardly extending engaging point 5 which is adapted to'bear against the inner wall of the socket to assist in retaining the locking member in its operative position within the inner end of the socket. The end of the locking member opposite the engaging point 5 is bent upwardly at an oblique angle with respect tothe body of the locking member and provided with a The upwardly projecting end 6 of the locking member is preferably .yieldable so that when the end of a bulb is screwed within the socket, it can be screwed in position so as to engage the contact within the socket before the sharpened edge 6 engages the inner end of the bulb to retain it against backward movement. As the neck of the bulb is screwed in position, the inner end thereof will engage with the'sharpened edge and in screwing the bulb in, it will readily pass over the sharpened edge 6, in view of the angle of the same but any attempt of backward rotary movement of the bulb will be prevented, as the sharpened edge will engage with the inner edge of the .bulb and hold it against backward rotary movement.

Should it be desired to remove the bulb from the socket, the mica or isinglass which normally closes the opening 2 will be broken and any suitable instrument inserted through the opening and engaged with the sharpened end of the locking member, whereby to disengage the same from the inner end of the bulb so that the bulb may be readily unscrewed. It will be noted that the lock can be placed in position without the use of the hole 2 in the side of the outer shell, but in order to remove the lamp with this construction, the bulb must be broken and the outer shell pulled down and the lamp stem removed, by a hole provided in the inside shell.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it

positionwill be securely locked but can be readily removed by actuating the lock to release the same.

The device as a whole is one which can be manufactured and placed upon the market at a con'iparatively low cost.

lVhile we have shown and described the preferred form of our invention, it will be obvious that various changes in the details of construction and in the proportions may be resorted to for successfully carrying our invention into practice, without sacrificing any of the novel features or departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I Having thus described this invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lamp socket, having an opening in one side thereof, an insulating washer seated in the socket, a locking member seated upon the washer. said locking member consisting in a. split ring having one terminal directed outwardly and at an acute angle to the washer, said terminal being provided with a relatively sharp edge which is adapted to engage with the inner end of a lamp base threaded into the socket for holding the lamp base against rotation in the socket in a direction to remove the lamp base, and a fragile transparent member normally closing said opening, whereby said fragile member must be broken before a tool may be inserted in the socket for depressing the angularly extending terminal of the split ring when the lamp base is to be removed, said washer serving to insulate the split ring from the conducting portions of the socket.

2. In a lamp socket having an opening in one side thereof, an insulating washer seated in the socket, a locking member seated upon the washer, said locking member consisting in a split ring having one terminal outwardly directed and at an acute angle to the washer, said terminal being provided with a relatively sharp edge which is adapted to engage with the inner end of the lamp base threaded into the socket, for holding the lamp base against rotation in the socket in a direction to remove the lamp base, the other terminal of the split ring being provided with a laterally and outwardly extending pointed projection which is engageable with the inner shell of the socket for holding the split ring against rotation within the socket, and a fragile transparent member normally closing said opening, whereby said fragile member must be broken before a tool may be inserted in the socket for depressing the angularly extending terminal of the split ring when the lamp base is to be removed, said washer serving to insulate the split ring from the conducting portions of the socket.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM JAMES HOWE. v JERRY MALOY PEARRING. \Vitnesses:

W. L. BROWN, J. WARD HOUSE. 

